Playwright Discovery Award Teacher's Guide - The John F. Kennedy ...

PLAYWRITING EXERCISE 4 : Changing the Game —
Understanding Disability in Your Play
This exercise helps develop the creative muscles needed to begin imagining how an active character
engages with others and the physical environment. And remember, all characters are active even if
they do not appear so at first.
PART 1 Create a Moment of Action
Take two characters created in the PLAYWRITING EXERCISE 2 and place them in a location and a situation
where one character needs something from the other.
For example:
Character 1:
Character 2:
Location:
Need:
Action:
Michael, a young boy
The Director of an orphanage
The Director’s office
Michael needs his teddy bear returned.
Michael searches for the teddy bear when the Director leaves.
Scenario
Ten-year-old Michael, a new arrival at an orphanage, has had a precious stuffed animal taken from him
by the Director of the orphanage. The teddy bear is the only thing Michael has left to remind him of his
mother. Michael has been called to the Director’s office. When the Director steps into the hallway to
discipline another student, Michael springs into action, searching the Director’s office. The moment offers
considerable tension because the Director is just outside the door and could return at any moment—and
Michael will get into great trouble if he is caught.
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ACT II: PLAYWRITING 31